16
Eli was laughing. A soft musical sound as her hands snatched at the bubbles John was blowing for her. It seemed strange to Jack, to see his partner being a soft tit. And sort of nice to see as well, the long suspected softer side really did exist. Too bad it was not shown during their brief fling instead of violence. John didn't get the idea that some like comfort, not a slap and tickle.
Dax was trying to get his head around the job at hand while Ianto sat calmly explaining it over and over to him, the fact each time Dax had less questions and more understanding a comfort to all of them. Clearly Ianto and Dax had some sort of communication thing sorted so they were comfortable with one another, this made everyone else feel more secure. After all, everything would hinge on their ability to communicate.
"So, Cherital Folk always keeps some of their dead?" Dax ws currently stuck on the cargo they would be… ah … receiving?
"Yes. Apparently each time one of them dies, they burn the body and everyone gets a portion of the ashes when they are cool. The one who owns the most ash, the owner of the Jar of Worth, is the head of the clan. Apparently this particulate jar holds at least eight generations, maybe more. It's an antique jar that is at least three centuries old and is unique. Not another like it anywhere so it is obvious that it can't be copied or replicated. It is said to also contain some if the dirt from their home planet" Ianto explained.
"The… the blown up and never to be seen again planet?"
"Exactly" Ianto smiled warmly "if we can get this jar of dirt, we hold the power. We can buy our freedom with it, or at least a pass to somewhere out of the way on a backwater planet where the war will not reach us."
"We just have to get through the most extensive high tech security grid in the known universe, get out with the jar of dirt and our skins… then survive showing it to the one person who will kill us on sight for it" Owen laughed hollowly, "Great. Sign me up."
"Come on, Droxi Cybeeb is a mover and a shaker. As much as he IS trigger happy he also knows the power of that jar." Jack interrupted.
"So we need to get this right the first time because there will not be another chance" Ianto rose from the table and walked over to check the little girl who was asleep in her empty cargo crate that seemed to be an acceptable bed these days.
"The blood moon of the planet Bluboo comes only once a year and is a big thing, they party like it's the end of the world tomorrow. Most will be as drunk as skunkderoids, the other half so alert that a fart might set off a weapon by accident. Ideas?" Dax asked.
"Oh… I have one. You might not like it … but it will work" Ianto said as he looked Dax up and down then asked softly "How much do you weigh again?"
.
.
The Firefly was unnoticeable in amongst the other delivery vessels, gliding gracefully into its allotted docking area and Ianto stepped from the ramp with the bored yet officious demeanour of a Regulator, his uniform gleaming as he pushed the cart and the cargo crates towards the nearest person with a clipboard and slightly glazed expression. They were the same height, simply dressed and both men looked like they had stepped from some catalogue for soldiers. Ianto knew this man would not question why he had appeared, only why he had work to do now.
"Excuse me, can I dump these crates of ammo somewhere?" he demanded like he was bored too. "My CO apparently did some deal for us to get new head gear so… bang bang for you!"
"God, more? How much ammo do we need!" the man muttered.
"Apparently a few crates more?" Ianto snarked, then grinned disarmingly as they both laughed, and then the man led Ianto to a room full of weapons that screamed of a war zone about to be created. Ianto did not blink or appear phased by anything as he simply pushed the crates to one side and patting the top one affectionately.
As they left and the door swung shut the crates lid popped open slightly, Dax peering out of the crack to make sure he was alone before throwing back to lid to rise and stretch.
"Trojan is in" Dax said softly, the voice in his ear calling him a good boy. He grinned at the sarcasm as he tried not to say something back, knowing John was hoping for a bite. Fucker.
Dax clambered out of the crate and went to the nearest table of weapons and started to peruse the choices on offer.
Hmmmm.
Decisions, decisions.
He then went back to remove the now empty crate he had hidden in, opening up the second one and looking in at the bomb waiting for someone to turn the timer on.
He grinned.
.
.
Ianto was walking along the corridor and as he walked he let his hand slide into his pocket, then while turning the corner he let that same hand slide around the wall and the small dot left behind would not even be noticed unless you were looking for it.
The small eye that dropped from the same pocket to roll under a side table was also cleverly done.
.
.
"We have eyes" Toshiko said, Dax's wife surprisingly a Tech Specialist that left most Regulators for dead. She as exceptionally gifted and at this particular moeent, also exceptionally wired, her eyes wide and her grin feral.
Jack gripped the back of her hair as he leaned over her to watch the multiple screens as they flickered to life, the dot cameras coming online, the single eyeball also there in the corner of the screen.
They had this.
Gorum, tell me they got this. Right?
.
.
"You need to go straight back to your ship?" the man with the clipboard asked, his eyes roving over the pert arse of the man marching alongside him and Ianto almost flattered in his stride, then did something out of character.
He simpered "Why? You got something in mind to make this hell trip worthwhile soldier?"
The man looked around furtively then motioned Ianto towards a door, soon both men inside the small cloakroom with Ianto slammed against the door as the man tried to suck his face off.
.
.
"What the fuck is he doing!" Jack demanded, stepping back from the chair with horror as the dot in Ianto's uniform's top button was the perfect position to show the two men necking, the clipboard man now trying to undo Ianto's belt and slip a hand home as he assured him that the room was soundproof, he could yell if he wanted to.
"Jealous lover?" came a breathy reply over the speakers moments before Ianto savagely struck the man in the back of the head, helping the limp body to the ground with more gentleness than Jack would have given. Ianto then turned to angle the camera while still crouching and grinned at it "Seriously? Come on, remember the game plan. I just skipped three steps. I am already inside!"
As Ianto straightened up and picked up the clipboard from the floor, then rolled the unconscious man to remove his security swipe cards and other things John snorted softly behind Jack "Look at that. Fucker is a natural born Pirate."
"Regulator baby, hoorah!" Ianto muttered over the mic, then added "Now shut the fuck up. Tadda is working! Dragon is in."
OK.
Now Jack knew for sure there was a big problem with all of this.
He could feel his hands griping the chair tightly as Ianto looked both ways before exiting the room and locking it with the broken handle on the inside of the room that now contained the tied up Clipboard Man ensuring the fucker stayed put.
Ianto cleared hid throat and employed a bored expression once more, now raising the clipboard to look at as he started to power towards other huge double doors, entering the main room with ease.
Oh yeah, Jack had a problem with this now.
He had just realized that he had let Ianto walk into a viper pit.
What the hell.
"Calm down" John said gently, a hand on Jacks' arm snapping him out of his panic attack "He's OK. Gorum, you have fallen for this one."
"And I didn't hit the ground. I don't want to crash and burn with him" Jack whispered, looking into John's eyes as he added "But damn John… I feel the weight of it. What if he doesn't …"
"TRAVELLING" Toshiko roared, pulling them both back on task as Owen now left the Weapons Room and started to stride along on his own prearranged journey to madness.
So much could go wrong here.
They had to have faith.
Jack closed his eyes, unable to watch.
On the screen Dax was the first to wraith, disappearing from sight around a group of men who were deep in conversation and simply… not coming out of the shadows. Moments later Ianto brushed past some men and also seemed to disappear, the small dot showing one man turning to look back behind then as he felt the touch of Ianto against him, then seeming confused as nothing was there.
Only later would he realize his pass was gone.
Ianto was gathering ammo of another kind.